Zach LaVine is truly blossoming into a true superstar for the Chicago Bulls in the 2020-21 season. Initially deemed as simply a high-flyer when he first entered the league in 2014, the 25-year-old guard has evolved into an all-around player and one of the most lethal scorers in the game today. His improvement has earned him the admiration of his teammates and even his adversaries on the court.
After the Bulls defeated the Houston Rockets earlier this week, the two-time Slam Dunk Contest winner received some great praise from PJ Tucker:
Despite Chicago’s 5-8 start, P.J. Tucker has high praise for Zach LaVine: “He’s arrived.”
Tucker says “he’s got a lot better.”
“He’s having just as good of a year as anybody in the league right now and he’s keeping his team into games every single night even in the losses.”
— Eric Woodyard (@E_Woodyard) January 18, 2021
His Bulls teammates Denzel Valentine and Thaddeus Young agree that Zach LaVine has already “made it in the league,” per Darnell Mayberry of The Athletic. According to Valentine, the former UCLA Bruin has become the team's leader over the last couple of years.
“I just think he cares. His care for winning has went to another level. He’s watching more film. He’s talking to guys more about where they like the ball. After practice the other day, he’s talking to Lauri and Wendell (Carter Jr.) trying to figure out the pick-and-roll. I think he’s just maturing as far as overall trying to just be a winner, and he’s trying to take himself to that next level,” the Bulls forward said.
The same goes for Young, who credited LaVine for always seeking to make his Bulls teammates better on and off the floor.
“He’s trusting us. He’s trusting other guys to make shots. He knows opposing teams are going to come in here and try to double- and triple-team him and keep him from driving the basketball and getting scores. So he’s been making great reads,” Young shared.
LaVine and the Bulls, meanwhile, extended their winning streak to three on Friday with a 123-110 win over the Charlotte Hornets. The 6-foot-5 scorer once again paved the way with a team-high 25 points, six rebounds and nine assists.
To be fair, LaVine was already considered a borderline All-Star last season. If he keeps it up, looks like he'll finally be representing the Bulls for the East team this year.
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